The twain shall never meet – the celestial and the mundane. Worldly talk is a strict no-no in mosques. That’s the general perception. But the Masjide Azizia in Humayun Nagar begs to differ.
The faithful were in for a surprise on Friday when they saw speakers waxing eloquent about the changing trends in education. Devotees listened with rapt attention to the importance of skill development, spoken English and the employability factor.
“There is no difference between the spiritual and worldly knowledge. If the latter is acquired with the intention of benefiting mankind, it also amounts to fulfilling the religious obligation,” says Aijaz Mohiuddin Waseem, Khateeb, Masjide Azizia. With the academic year having just begun, the Students Islamic Organisation of India, Hyderabad chapter, organised a symposium on Our approach towards education for the benefit of Muslim youth. “The general trend is to memorise some answers just before the exams and somehow pass. We want to instil the real concept of education,” says Farhan Sumbul of the SIO. “Masjid is not just a place of worship but also a centre for looking into the general well-being of the community,” remarked Abdul Majeed, a parent, welcoming the initiative.
Moulana Waseem, who is all for striking a balance between religion and worldly affairs, feels students can succeed only if they imbibed the 3 Ds – discipline, determination and devotion.
Quoting Quranic verses, he said reflecting in the creation of skies and earth is worship but the inquisitive spirit is lacking today.
Telangana University Vice-Chancellor Akber Ali Khan gave tips to the youth to increase their employability quotient.
“Being on the Facebook is not enough. You ought to have the right communication and behavioural skills, whatever degree you may hold,” he advised. “Be a job-giver rather than a job-seeker,” he told the youth. The Masjide Azizia plans to open a regular career guidance cell after Ramzan.
